RJ45 connectors have come to be extensively used within the realm of network communication. RJ45 plugs typically have eight plug contacts arranged in a row and configured to interface eight plug interface contacts (PICs) provided in an RJ45 jack. The closely spaced parallel conductors which allow the jack and the plug to interface to each other produce a known amount of crosstalk (set by an ANSI/TIA (American National Standards Institute/Telecommunications Industry Association) standard) between any two wire-pairs. To maintain the integrity of the signal through the plug/jack connector combination, this offending crosstalk may be canceled or reduced by a compensating signal within the jack.
The crosstalk compensation can generally be simplified by shortening the distance from the plug/jack contact point on the PICs (approximate location of the source of crosstalk in a mated plug and jack combination) to the crosstalk compensation network employed within the jack. Shortening of this distance simplifies the jack crosstalk compensation by reducing the phase delay between the plug/jack contact point and the crosstalk compensation network. For a fixed physical distance between the plug/jack contact point and the jack crosstalk compensation network phase delay is a function of frequency (increasing with frequency) and an RJ45 jack typically needs to be tuned for a range of frequencies (1 to 500 MHz for CAT6A, for example). Consequently, reduction of the above-mentioned phase delay tends to increase the bandwidth of the jack.
While the theoretical desire to shorten the crosstalk-to-compensation distance is known, real-world implementations of jacks employing such design features are hampered by constraints such as, for example, manufacturing costs and form factor requirements. Furthermore, jacks are required to be compatible with mating plug contacts at the limits of size and position tolerances allowed by governing standard bodies. For instance, to allow for proper plug latching, a jack housing latch stop face is designed to have plug over-travel. However, such design requirements can have an undesired effect on the crosstalk-to-compensation distance.
Therefore, there continues to be a need for improved communication jack designs which reduce and/or maintain the electrical distance from the crosstalk to the initial stage of compensation.